


Petrichor

by Sessediz



Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Comedy, Cute, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Fluffy Ending, Meet-Cute, Usamamo - Freeform, cuteness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-14
Updated: 2020-04-14
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:14:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23652160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sessediz/pseuds/Sessediz
Summary: Written as part of the UsaMamo Spring Exchange 2020 for mochibuniTailored to her favorites, we’ve got fluffy humor, enemies to lovers, comedy and cuteness, and of course the ugly, green jacket! I hope you enjoy it <3
Relationships: Chiba Mamoru/Tsukino Usagi
Comments: 3
Kudos: 18





	Petrichor

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mochibuni](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mochibuni/gifts).



“Ahhhh!” Usagi shouted down the wet sidewalk, which was devoid of the usual hustle and bustle. It seemed as she got closer to the arcade, her safe haven, it would rain harder with every desperate leap. She hoped to soon be under cover before the next clap of thunder.

Her mother had told her she should bring her umbrella, and it was just one example of the sound advice that she promised herself she would begin listening to, so long as the rain would subside. It hadn’t rained in weeks, why would it now? Nevertheless, lamenting over the lack of protection wouldn’t help her get to safety. As she attempted to round the corner to the arcade, Usagi noticed a rather large puddle; one rainbow’d with oil from the road.

“Oh, no!” she pleaded to the sky, hoping against hope that the sun would come out and instantly dry the roadways, but it was too late. Her heels slid on the slick puddle, and she crashed into—another body?

Grasped in the tight hands of an unknown person, Usagi took a moment to realize that she had not fallen as far as she would have thought. She panic-looked from side to side to see herself still standing, before glancing up to see an unlikely hero.

“Chiba Mamoru?” she asked, bleary-eyed from the weather.

The rain was just starting to soak his green jacket, making the ugly shade even darker. He looked a mix of shocked and angry.

“What are you doing, Odango-Atama!? You could have slid into the street!” he shouted as he bent down to pick up his umbrella. “I’ve never met someone so ign—are, are you crying?”

Usagi’s eyes widened as she futilely wiped her face of both tears and rain. “Whaaa? No, I’m not.” She worked her right foot back into her shoe, and bowed quickly. Though Mamoru was known to always be on her case, and she dealt it back quite frequently, she had been nursing a crush for the better part of a year. In fact, a lot of their bickering had subsided recently. Now having Mamoru see her practically soaked to the bone, needing rescued (Sailor V never would have needed rescued!), and now _crying_?? “Thank you for saving me, but I need to hurry.”

His hand gently grasped her wrist before she sped off again. “If you keep running like that in this weather, you’re bound to get hurt. Where are you headed?” He pulled her under the shelter of his umbrella once again, and Usagi swiftly smelled the familiar scent of roses.

Usagi looked down at her clothes, “Well, Motoki has a washer and dryer at his arcade. I was hoping to dry my clothes before going home, and maybe the rain would be done by then.”

Mamoru’s eyebrows shot up and he removed his hand from her, then rubbed the back of his neck. “Uh, and what did you plan to wear while your clothes were drying?”

Suddenly they were both the same shade of red; up to Mamoru’s ears and down to Usagi’s collarbone.

She tried to think of an answer, but the only images that emerged in her mind were her sitting nearly nude at the fruit bar, or playing the new Sailor V video game, or…OR trying to hide out in the backroom with ALL of her clothes in the dryer and Motoki coming back there to check on her— _eek_!

Usagi looked away, “That’s a good point. I had not thought of that.”

With a quick look at his watch and a sigh, he offered her to use his dryer at his apartment. Mamoru’s apartment, the place that he sleeps, where he baths, where he eats… cereal? Did Mamoru eat cereal? “I can supply you with some dry clothes to wear in the meantime. Would that suffice?”

With a poof, her left shoulder now had the cheeky side of her personality… personified, and the other shoulder had her more reserved nature.

“Now THIS is what we’ve been waiting for,” cheeky-Usa said, rubbing her hands together mischievously. “Go on, take him up on the offer!”

“No, no, NO,” enlightened-Usa interjected while in an extremely complicated yoga pose, the lotus. “Clearly he has an interest in you, Usagi. You must decline such an offer and follow the relationship timeline.”

Cheeky-Usa leaned against the side of Usagi’s head. “Relationship timeline? This I’ve got to see.”

With a pulldown motion, a map appeared out of thin air. Enlightened-Usa started pointing to the various stages: “You see, first there must be the meet cute, which we got with the math test incident from a few years ago.”

Usagi deadpanned, but continued to listen.

“And then you have the build-up of _emotions_ ,” enlightened-Usa demonstrated with the gesture of a rainbow. “That can include denial of feelings, trying to find ways to bump into each other, compliments, excuses to say hi, or in Usagi’s case… bickering.”

Usagi winced.

“ _Then_ we move onto the accidental breaking of the physical barrier—.”

“Oh yeah,” cheeky-Usa added with a nod.

The other personality just shook their head, “ _Not_ what I mean, but something more like reaching for the same pen, or sharing something personal of theirs. Next there’s the—.”

“I think I’ve heard enough,” Usagi all but shouted. The map snapped back into invisible hammerspace, and both personalities stood up at attention. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with going back to Chiba Mamoru’s apartment so that I can dry. my. clothes,” cheeky-Usa started pumping her fists in celebration, “and that doesn’t mean we’re going to do anything. Who says he even likes me the way I like him?”

Both personalities gasped. “What’s not to like?” they asked in unison.

Usagi shrugged, “I can make my own decision on this matter. Now both of you, poof away!”

With their dismissal, Usagi looked up again to see Mamoru’s eyebrows knitted with concern. “Are you alright? How cold are you?”

“What do you mean?” _Oh no, did I say all of that outLOUD_?

“I couldn’t get your attention. It was like you were in your own little world,” he smiled in that way that caused her to first fall for him. A warm smile that pulled only the left side of his mouth, yet was reserved instead of outright flirty. “Usagi Land, was it?” Usagi blinked once, twice. “The place of your daydreams and thoughts? Like you said a couple years ago in the park?”

“Oh, right,” she blushed, and drew a wet strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m surprised you would remember that.”

Mamoru chuckled warmly. “Well, shall we?” he gestured across the street.

Along their short walk to his place, Usagi started shivering from the cold of her soaked clothes. Mamoru had shirked the nearly-dry, ugly green jacket off his shoulders and placed it onto hers. It only really blocked the wind from attacking her wet skin, but every little bit counted with how water-logged she was; in fact, she felt like she was ruining the garment. No matter how ugly she thought it was, it was still quintessential Mamoru, and smelled like him too!

“These are for you to wear,” Mamoru said in the dim light of his apartment. “Just throw yours in the dryer, and I’ll prepare us some dinner.”

Usagi waited for the click of the bathroom door before she began stripping down to her underwear. With a glance at the sweatpants and t-shirt he had picked out, Usagi made a judgement call and threw the clothes into the dryer on the eco setting. _That way I get to hang out with him a little longer_.

“Do you need help?” Usagi asked as she bounced into the room wearing his Harvard t-shirt. She began surveying the pot of rice, his careful slicing of vegetables, and the thinly-sliced chicken already searing.

“There’s a box of double-chocolate brownies in the cabinet, if you’d like dessert.” With a quick glance to her and back at his task he whispered, “That looks good on you.”

Not hearing what he added, Usagi moved to the cabinet he had pointed out. “If I’m honest, I am surprised that you would have a dessert of any kind,” Usagi said as she opened the cabinet. Inside were several boxes of easy-to-bake treats, ranging from cakes and cookies, to more peculiar options such as flan and monkey-bread.

“Uh, maybe you just don’t know me as well as you thought you did, Usa,” he added the vegetables to the skillet.

Out on their walk here, she had thought about the, totally-ridiculous couldn’t-be-taken-seriously, relationship timeline her more reserved-self had tried to peddle; about how sharing a personal item was a key part in showing your attraction. She wondered if Mamoru sharing his jacket would apply, or if the situation simply called for such a gesture.

To quell the silence, Usagi started rambling about her day while Mamoru happily listened. “I’m honestly glad I didn’t have to go to the Crown, Raye would have teased me _relentlessly_ about not bringing an umbrella. Oh, Makoto got selected for an internship this summer. It’s at a local bakery and confection shop, so I plan to go there every day to support her during snack time.”

“What time is snack time?”

Usagi giggled, “Um, whenever you want? Not everything has to be so scheduled, Mamo-chan.”

His ears perked up at that, “What happened to Mamoru-baka?”

Usagi swiped a finger into the chocolatey mixture, “You tell me; you don’t yell at me the way you used to. It’s as if I don’t annoy you anymore. I’ve lost my power.” She tried to give him a smile to show him that she was just playing

Without looking up, Mamoru stopped chopping the scallions, “You’ve always had power over me, Usako.” And just like that, he was over preparing their two dishes for dinner. “I preheated the oven. He’s a pan for your brownies.”

“Are—are we not going to talk about what you just said?” Her gaze was met with silence, which boiled up inside, causing her to stop pouring the brownie mixture and thus delaying her getting to eat them. “So, you’ll fight with me relentlessly, with gumption might I add, but you can’t find your voice when you want to tell me you like me?”

Mamoru paused, but then went back to finishing dinner. “I said all that I had to say. It’s been on my mind for a while now, but I’ve struggled to say anything.”

“Can I ask you something, Mamo-chan?” she said so quietly she was surprised that he had heard her, and turned towards her direction.

“Depends on the question, I guess,” he smirked.

Unsure if she should continue, Usagi poured the batter into the pan Mamoru had readied, and moved to put it on the center rack. After Mamoru set the table, more silence passed between them as they ate their dinner. Usagi silently wondered if the laundry would be done first, and if it would be rude to leave once her clothes were dry with the brownies still cooking.

“I thought you had a question?”

Usagi swallowed another bite of food. “I’m not sure if I should bring it up. We’re having so much… fun.”

Mamoru chuckled, “So I gather I’m not much fun to be around, then?”

Immediately Usagi moved to change her statement. “No, _no_ , I didn’t mean it like _that_.” She covered her face in embarrassment. “I only meant to ask why we used to fight so much. Like, what started it?”

“Well, I know that you used to complain to Rei a lot when we dated for that brief time. She always relayed your protests to us dating,” he smiled as he ate the last of his meal. “You know, I used to wonder if you had a crush on me.”

His eyes were focused on hers, and it was only the ding of the timer that broke the moment. Usagi wanted to curse the timer for interrupting what she hoped would lead to something more; did he want her to have a crush on him, did he have a crush on her, there were so many questions popping up in her mind—

“Maybe you should take these to go,” he said as he put the brownies on a cooling tray. “They should be done soon, just as your clothes.”

“I, uh—,” Usagi began.

“Feel free to watch some TV, if you’d like,” he said as he departed.

Usagi looked around the small apartment, and found the two remotes on the coffee table. “Maybe I should just get ready to leave,” she whispered to herself, “I could always return his clothes later, right?”

With a magical poof, her spirited personalities were back.

“What are you _talking_ about! You can’t leave,” cheeky-Usa said declared. “He obviously likes you! He’s been acting so _weird_.”

“Uh-uh,” enlightened-Usa interjected. “He only seems socially inept; nothing to do with liking you, at least, not as obvious as _she_ would put it.”

“He gave her his _jacket_ , he made her dinner, and she’s wearing his _clothes_ without any underwear!” cheeky-Usa exclaimed.

“She’s—you’re not?”

Usagi bit her bottom lip, and shook her head. “Everything needed dried before I could go home.”

Two very different expressions were present on her two spirit personalities, but before anything else could be discussed, they poof’d away with a holler from down the hall.

“Usagi-chan! Did you put my green jacket in the dryer!?”

With a gulp, Usagi looked to the door and then to the pan of brownies, and once more at the door. Before a decision could be reached, he came storming into the main area of the apartment.

“Usako, this needs to be dry. cleaned.” He was seething, and it reminded her of the old days when they used to bicker at the arcade. “What would possess you to put it in the dryer?”

“Uhm,” she began.

“You could have caused a fire!” he exclaimed as he held up the wrinkly jacket that could have been made for a small child. Usagi fought against both tears and laughter at the situation, reserving a stoic face for the moment. Mamoru squeezed his eyes shut, and took a deep breath. “But at least you choose the green setting on the dryer, so the temperature was not too hot, nor frequent.”

“I’m so sorry, Mamo…ru. I was only trying to help,” she whined.

Mamoru sighed, and shook his head. “This certainly reminds me of old times, back when we used to talk to each other, even if it was more actually yelling,” he chuckled once again. “Com’on, I’ll give you a ride home after you get dressed.”

She knew it should be the least of her worries, but she had to ask, “What about the brownies?”

Mamoru laughed whole-heartedly. “That’s why I love you,” he blurted out.

Later on, Usagi held onto the plastic lid of the brownie dish as she watched the fleeting street lights. Mamoru drove through the streets of Tokyo, following her prior instructions. The rain had subsided, leaving a pleasant smell in the air.

She thought long about addressing the evening, the things left unsaid, the things accidently said, and tried to muster the courage to say something herself.

“Um, Mamoru?” she squeaked. “Can we talk?”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” he said as he clicked his turn signal. More silence passed between them before he continued, “It’s nothing on you, I promise. I just don’t talk about these things.”

“How long are you going to make me wait?” she said as he came to a stop half a block from her house.

Mamoru turned to her with his eyebrows knitted high, “What are you talking about?”

Usagi took a deep breath and looked forward. “I’ve been in love with you for a year now, Chiba Mamoru. I have tried to address it, but you’re always leaving almost as soon as I enter a conversation. I get to the Crown, suddenly you have a test to study for, I invite you out with the rest of us and you always have other plans. You’ve stopped being mean to me, when you’re nearby but not talking to me I catch you look at me,” she took another breath, “I’m sorry, but do you have some childish crush on me, or do you hate me? Because I honestly cannot tell.”

Mamoru’s eyes widened with her soliloquy, and then softened as she opened the container to shove a brownie in her mouth. He cleared his throat. “I apologize, Usagi-chan.”

“Hmm?” she turned to face him with brownie smudged around her face.

“I’m not that comfortable with talking about my feelings, but I have liked you for a long time. Honestly, I planned to ask you out a couple times,” he said he handed her a tissue, “but I always chickened out. I bought a box dessert every time I ran into you at the grocery store, so that I could offer to make you dinner at my apartment, but something inside me told me that you might say no.”

Usagi’s face turned red, “You thought _I_ may say no? To _dessert_?” Her eyes beamed, “Wait, so are all of those dessert mixes for _me_?” A vision of a decked out table with every treat, pastry, and confection imaginable played in her head.

Mamoru chuckled in his characteristic way, a reserved kind of laughter, and rubbed the back of his neck in that nervous way he does. “I suppose so. And it’s not like I never thought you might have feelings for me, but— well, can I be honest?”

Done with the pretense, Usagi nodded quickly.

“Alright, well I’m a bit of a loner, you know? I keep to myself because that’s the way it’s always been,” he looked forward again and blinked several times. The next words out seemed shaky and unsure, “But you’re this out-going, pink bubble of fun. I feel like a moth attracted to a beam of light, and nobody likes a moth.”

A quick fold of her tissue to conceal the chocolatey smudges, Usagi reached up to wipe away the budding tears. “I’d like a moth if you were one, Mamo-chan.” She leaned forward to kiss his cheek just as he turned to face her.

With their lips accidentally locked, they both closed their eyes waiting for something to happen. After an awkward minute of staying still, they both moved back to their seats.

“I think one of us should have started doing something,” Mamoru stated.

“Yes. _One_ of us should have,” Usagi said pointedly before laughing. “I think we need to both start doing things and saying things, otherwise we’re going to be stuck in a loop.”

Mamoru nodded, “Should we try again?”

“Absolutely,” Usagi beamed as she leaned in for a second try at their first kiss.

After they pulled away, he cupped her face in his hands and smiled. “I wish you didn’t have to go, but it’s probably best if you aren’t out much later. Wha—what is that?” he asked in the dark of the vehicle.

“Oh, this?” she held up the ruined jacket. “I thought it was a good size for my cat. I think she’ll _love_ it,” she giggled. “And I’ll try to save up my allowance to buy you a new jacket, I promise. Maybe I could help you pick out a better color?” she stuck her tongue out.

“I actually have two more in that shade,” he said evenly. “It was a buy two, get one free sale.”

Usagi enthusiastically laughed with tears coming to her eyes, “That doesn’t mean they have to all be the exact. same. You’re a treasure, Mamoru.”

If he were standing, he might have fallen over at that praise. “How about we do weekly dates at my place, at least until we eat up all of the desserts I bought?”

“And then we could buy more!”

Mamoru smiled warmly, “If you have not tired of me by then.”

Usagi winked, “I couldn’t tire of you in a thousand years.”


End file.
